This calendar, compiled with assistance from the Chaplaincy’s faith advisors, indicates the main fixed and movable observances of the UK’s nine major religions, up to December 2013.

Most of the world’s religious faiths include festivals and fasts. On festival days, followers of a religion may consider themselves required to attend a place of worship or to rest from their daily work. Fasting can include avoidance of all food and water from dawn until dusk (such as the Muslim practice of Ramadan) or the avoidance of certain foods on certain days (many Christians avoid meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday).

Under new Equality legislation the University is required to avoid discrimination against its employees, students, and other clients, on grounds of religious faith or philosophical beliefs.

The Chaplaincy’s Faith Calendar is offered as a tool to help University personnel in planning future activities. The calendar identifies the principal celebrations within the UK’s nine major faiths which are most likely to impact the working arrangements of believers, and provides links to summary information about the festival.

The Chaplaincy welcomes feedback from University departments which could improve the usefulness of this calendar.